3. Bemidji State University as a Residential Campus: What is the Future?

Initiatives:

Online Tutoring

The Advising Success Center has peer tutors for on-campus sections. This proposal would create the staff and software to support peer tutors for online sections. This would require access to some infrastructure like Adobe’s Connect Classrooms and staffing a peer panel.

Since the majority of BSU students live off-campus an office location on campus that would facilitate finding and managing an off-campus lifestyle should be created. This might be staffed in part by the BSU student government and in part by the Bemidji Chamber of Commerce.

Information sharing might include:

Rental possibilities

Utilities information

Transportation options

Civic regulations

Accountability: Office of Student Development and Enrollment

Board of Entertainment

We need to develop new ways to attract students back to campus during the evenings and weekends. Whereas the library and computer labs used to attract student visits to campus, online resources (i.e., used by both off-campus and residential students) reduce or eliminate those reasons for visits.

Athletics, both intramural and intercollegiate provide activities and social events for students but we need more event planning. The reduction of musical and theatrical performances on campus further emphasizes this new need.

The students themselves (i.e., student government) and university staff should explore offering films, TV accessible concerts, and live music or DJ led dances on campus. This adds to our justification of facilities outside of strict classroom instruction.

Accountability: Office of Student Development and Enrollment and BSU Student Government

Assessment of Change in the student body

Percent of student credit hours taken online

Percent of residential students taking online credit

Dorm room occupancy rate

Residence life program participation

Student campus seat time

PSEO credit hours

Number of reduced time (3 year) baccalaureate degrees

Accountability: Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness plus Office of Residential and Student Life

MnSCU’s Recommended Priorities: “Charting the Future”

Develop and implement a statewide academic plan and a statewide master facilities plan

Certify the competencies our graduates have mastered

Increase access to our colleges and universities and accelerate the educational success of diverse students

Create a comprehensive, statewide e-education strategy

Deliver leading edhge3 continuing education and customized training to students and employers through statewide collaboration

Enable recommended strategic priorities to be realized by redesigning the system’s financial and governance model